Measurement of irregular-shaped button-blank material or the like



April 29 1924.

. R. STANFORTH MEASUREMENT OF IRREGULAR SHAPED BUTTON BLANK MATERIAL OR THE LIKE Filed A ril 9, 1923 m 8 a T 5 s N a m A A m C e 7, 0 1 1 1 a s m m 5 Z 0 6 d d n 1 5 1 l 5 S 5 m c a 1 1 1 m a w a w M a b L 1 a 1 W a f k 4 1 1 tear pg, any" i f 1.

RICHARD STANFORTE, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNGR TO ART IN BUTTONS, INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ABORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEASUREMENT OF IRREGULAR-SHAPED BUlTTONeBLANK MATERIAL OR THE LIKE.

Applcation filed April 9, 1923. Serial No. 631,06.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD S'rANFoirrH, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented'certain new and useful Improvements in Measurement of Irregular-Shaped Button-Blank Material or the like, of which the follow ing is a specification. v

The presentinvention relates to the measurement or classification of irregularly shaped pieces of material from which buttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, are produced, andlan object of the invention is to provide means which will test each irregularly shaped piece to'determine the largest circular blank of a predetermined thickness that can be obtained from such irregularly shaped piece. Another object of the invention is to provide means which will subject each irregularly. shaped piece to a large number of tests to determine whether said piece has a thickness and a diameterbelow or above definite standards. Still a further object of the invention is to provide a classifying drum having a large-number of openings, which have their walls pro.-

vided with two pairs of gauging points, the

members of each pair being spaced apart a distance to define a predetermined thickness, while the two pairs are spaced apart a distance to define a predetermined diameter, the irregularly shaped pieces below'said pre determined thickness and diameter being discharged from the drum. A still further object of the invention is to provide a classif in nii m er of classes may be obtained.

To theseand other ends, the invention consists of certain parts, and combinations of parts, all of which will be hereinafter described; the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary transverse section through a classifying drum constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary trans verse section of the drum;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view of the drum showing the form of one of the classifying openings;

Fig. 4 shows diagrammatically a system of drums through which the classification means through which an indefinite from nuts,' the pieces, such as w, vary considerably in thickness and diameter, as well as in shape, some being substantially circular and others being triangular and of various geometrical forms. It is highly ,desirable to measure or classify such irregularly shaped pieces with sutiicient accuracy that the buttons or blanks out directly therefrom will be full and complete and at the same time retain the maxlmum possibilities in buttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, of the irregularly shaped material. But nor to this invention no mechanical classifying means has been provided which Was adapted to measure or classify with any degree of accuracy button material which had a shape other than that of substantiallv circular form and; as a conse- 1*, while "those below the predetermined thickness and diameter are discharged into a drum 1 The drum 1 discharges the material therein above another predetermined diameter and thickness into the drum 1, while those below said last-mentioned diameter and thickness form one class. lhe drum 1' discharges to the drum 1, and also provides a class of those below the predetermined diameter and thickness defined by drum 1. The-same action is performed by the drums 1 and 1 the drum 1 giving one class and the drum 1 giving two classes. Those irregularly shaped pieces retained by the drum 1 are discharged successively into the drums-1 1 land 1 each of the drums 1 1 and 1 producing a class and the drum 1 producing two classes. The irregularly shaped pieces discharged from the drum 1 are received in the drum 1*, the retained pieces of which are discharged successively l, 1" and 1 each producing a separate class and the drum 1 producing two classes.

The material discharged from the drum 1 is the least desirable. The order of the classification is immaterial, the illustrated order being given only as an example.

Each of the classifying drums is the same except for the effective size of its classifying openings. The classifying openings, of which there are a large number in each drum, each embody two pairs of gauging points, one air being indicated at 2 and 2" and the other pair being indicated at 2 and 2. The members of each pair are separated a distance d corresponding to the approximate thickness or length of the circular blank y to be defined in each irregularly shaped piece of the class, while the two pairs are separated from each other a distance d equal to the diameter of the circular blank 1 to be defined in each irre larly spaced piece. It -will be noted that idtween the points, enlarged spaces 3 are provided. The purpose of these spaces is to ref ceive those portions -3 of the irregularly shaped pieces beyond-the proposed circular blanks, thus adapting the openings to the irregular shapes of the pieces. As .each drum has a very large number of classifyin o enings, it is apparent that each piece wil a ter a certain length of time, be subjected to the testing action of a large number of these openings, and at different points about its perimeter or circumference so that each piece is tested in all directions to determine whether it is above or below a redetermined thickness and diameter define by 'the open- The classifying element is herein de-' scribed as being in the form of a drum, but it will be understood that it is not limited to this arran ement and may be any movablef element w ich has gauging points with spaces between them adapted to give the re sults of this invention. When a drum is employed it is preferred toprovide the wall of the drum with portions fl: extending substantially radially of the axis of turning ofthe drum and also with portions 5, which, with the portions 4, form pockets interiorly of the drum in which the irregularly shaped pieces are collected so that they will be presented edgewise to the testing openings formed in the portions 4 as the drum rotates in the direction of the arrow. When a position above the axis of the drumis reached, the pieces which have not passed" through the portion 4 fall from the pockets to a lower portion of the drum where they are again collected in other pockets to;

, inbefore pointed out.

its entire circumference or perimeter, the pieces remaining in the drum are discharged to a. drum testing for the next size as here- From the foregoing it will be seen that there has been provided a classifying means which will subject each irregularly shaped piece to a large number of tests to determine the maximum possibilities in buttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, contained therein, considering both diameter and thickness. By using a movable classifying element havingv four gauging points spaced apart, it is possible to mechanicallyclassify irregularly shaped pieces which have triangular or other geometrical forms.

Furthermore, by reason .of the fact that the gauging oints are comparatively small, due to being ormed from sheet metal, or similar material, these points readily enter the re- 'cesses or other indentations in the irregu larly shaped pieces and test for diameter and thickness in these recessed portions orindentations, a result which is not obtainable when a continuous gauging edge is provided. It will also be noted that by this classifying means,,,it is possible to automatically and mechanically classify irregularly shaped pieces of practically anyshape for the obtaining of the maximum desirable yield in disks, or blanks for buttons, or the like, therefrom.

When using irregularly shaped material,

such as the nut pieces illustrated in' the drawings, the diameter of the buttons or blanks obtainable therefrom is dependent upon the thickness of such buttons or blanks and vice versa, so that if buttons or blanks of maximum diameter are desired. each irregularly shaped piece may be classified according to the maximum diameter of a single button or blank of minimum thickness con tained therein, whereas if the largest number of buttons or buttons of maximum thickness are desired, this may be the guidin factor in theclassification. These resu. ts are obtained by varying the distances between the members of each pair of gaugi ng points in the classifying element, as desired.

The expression maximum desirable? as used in connection with yield in buttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, from the irregularly shaped pieces, means yield of maximum value, which is governed by trade or market conditions.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Means for" classifying irregularly shaped pieces of material as to the maximum desirable yield in buttons, or blanks, for disks, buttons, or the like. obtainable therefrom, comprising a movable member having two airs of opposed gauging points with spaces tween them and adapted to be whi held a ainst movement with respect to each other nring the movement of the member.

2. Means for classifying irregularly shaped pieces of material as to the maximum desirable yield in buttons, or blanks for disks,1buttons, or the like, obtainable therefrom, comprising a movable member having openings, the wall of which have two pairs gauging points with spaces between them, in

which portions of the irregularly shaped pieces beyond the measured portions may project, the-two pairs of gauging points being spaced apart a distance to define a predetermined diameter at a predetermined thickness defined by the distance between the members of the pairs.

4. Means for classifying irregularly shaped pieces of material as to the maximum desirable yield in buttons, or blanks for disks buttons, or the like, obtainable therefrom, comprising a plurality of movable classifying elements, each having two pairs of ganging points with spaces between them into 0 portions of the irregularly shaped pieces beyond the measured portions may project, the distance between the two airs of gauging points being such as to test or a predetermined diameter in each irre defined by the distance between the members as well as between themembers of the varying in the different movable classi ing larly' shaped p1e'ce at a predetermined thickness 4c of the pairs, the distance between the pairs airs elements but being alike in each classifying I element.

5. Means for classifying an irregularly shaped piece of materialas to the maximum desirable yield in bnttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, obtainable therefrom, comprising a rotary drum having its walls formed with portions extending substantially radially or the axis of the drum and provided with openings,v the walls of which are formed with gauging points.

* '6, Means for classif ing an irregularly shaped piece of material as tothe maximum desirable yield in buttons, or blanks for disks, buttons, or the like, obtainable there from, comprising a rotary drdm'having its walls formed with portions extending substantially radially of the axis of the drum and provided with openings, the walls of which are formed with gauging points, and

portions connecting said radially extending portions and arranged to present the ma ,terial to the classifying openings on the rotation of the drum.

RICHARD STANFORTH. 

